Wadeable streams monitoring: 2014 results from Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and Lassen Volcanic National Park
Dinger EC. 2017. Wadeable streams monitoring: 2014 results from Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Natural Resource Report. NPS/KLMN/NRR—2017/1536. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Sampling was undertaken to determine the ecological condition status of streams in two park units: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Sampling previously occurred in 2011, and 2014 marks the second sampling event for these park units. Ecological condition, “the state of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics, and the processes and interactions that connect them,” was assessed by measuring an array of stream biota, in-stream characteristics, water quality, and stream bank variables and metrics. These measures were then either used singularly or integrated to assign sites to condition categories of “Least Disturbed,” “Intermediate,” and “Most Disturbed”. These condition categories are based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thresholds, which offer broad regional perspectives on condition, and the latter two categories do not necessarily reflect impairment for park streams. Rather, prevalence of Intermediate or Most Disturbed categories should be seen as an indicator for targeted investigations. A more complete description of indices is provided in the methods, but a short description is provided here, in three categories (chemical, physical, and biological): Chemistry: (1) Total phosphorous, (2) Total nitrogen – these are both nutrients indicative of pollution, (3) Salinity – an indicator of water withdrawal, and (4) Acid Neutralizing Capacity – indicative of acid deposition, either through rain or acid mine drainages. Physical: (1) Relative Bed Stability (RBS) – a measure of sediment supply and transport, (2) In-stream Habitat Cover – a measure of habitat complexity, (3) Riparian Cover – a measure of how complex and multi-layered the streamside vegetation is, and (4) Riparian Disturbance – a measure of observed, potential anthropogenic disturbances streamside. Biological: (1) EPA Regional Vertebrate Multi-Metric Index (MMI) – a composite measure of the fish and amphibian ecological integrity, (2) EPA Regional Invertebrate Multi-Metric Index – a similar measure using invertebrates for assessing ecological integrity, (3) Observed/Expected ratio – a measure of the amount of observed biodiversity to the expected biodiversity, and (4) a regional, state- based Invertebrate Multi-Metric Index. Values this year at both park units appear related to low water availability ‒ 2014 was a low precipitation year. New this year, an automated scripted software was used to increase repeatability and transparency and to improve efficient reporting.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Dinger, Eric
- Date of Issue
- 2017-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KLMN , LAVO , NRSS , WHIS
- Keywords
- Amphibians, Aquatic Communities, EMAP, Fish, IBI, Macroinvertebrates, Monitoring, Redwood National and State Parks, Streams, streams monitoring, Water Quality, Water Quality Monitoring
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Stream/River Channel Characteristics , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Water Chemistry , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Algae , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Freshwater Communities